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Major General Obaid: Taqdeer Award to set international benchmarks in labour welfare practices
32 certified assessors to conduct evaluation, pay onsite visits
Dubai - A 32-member team of Certified Assessors will start assessing construction companies that have applied to participate in Taqdeer Award, starting August.
The Taqdeer Award, launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, will enhance relationship between companies and workers by recognising excellence in labour practices and setting new benchmarks in work practices across sectors in Dubai.
Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor, Chairman of Taqdeer Award, who is also the Deputy Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, conducted a meeting between the Taqdeer Award management and the team of Taqdeer Certified Assessors, to chalk out the further plan of action for evaluating and selecting the winners of Taqdeer Award.
He said: "We are pleased to announce that we have a received a strong interest from construction companies in Dubai to participate in this Award, which will set international benchmarks in labour practices. We are also very grateful to the assessors for their contribution and willingness to support this first of its kind Award. The assessors, who have undergone specialised certification training, will begin the process of assessing the applications from the beginning of August, which will be followed by onsite visits to the companies that have applied for the Award. The Award will recognise the active and effective efforts being made by the companies toward excellence and ensure welfare of workers, which is in line with the vision of our wise leadership."
In its first cycle, the award has been launched for companies in the construction sector that employ manual workers and the future cycles will include factories and free zones.
The companies will be awarded the ratings from one star to five stars.
Winners of 5 and 4-star ratings will receive a certificate, enjoy priority in government projects, and will be honoured at an award ceremony. These top ratings will give companies a competitive advantage in bidding for international contracts.
The 32 assessors include managerial level experts from different nationalities and with experience of being associated in assessment procedures. The Taqdeer management has divided the assessors to for 10 groups of three to four members each. Each of the assessors underwent special training to carry out the assessment procedure for the Award.
While the process of evaluating the applications, termed 'Desktop Evaluation' will start from the first week of August, it will be followed by 'Onsite Evaluation' wherein the assessors will visit the companies to verify the actual implementation of the measures being adopted as mentioned in the applications. During the onsite evaluation, the assessors will check the facilities being provided to workers such as accommodation, safety measures on site and documents.
With the official launch of the Taqdeer Award website, construction companies can also submit their applications online. The Award management also explained details about the online evaluation procedure to the assessors.
Major Khaled Ismail Al Rahma from GDRFA, who is the Secretary General of Taqdeer Award, welcomed the team of assessors and ensured complete support from the Taqdeer Award office to the assessment team.
Taqdeer, named after the Arabic word for 'appreciation', is the world's first points-based award programme for recognizing excellence in labour welfare practices and seeks to promote international best practices in labour welfare and will also be instrumental in raising awareness among workers about their rights.
The award has been launched in line with the vision of the Dubai's leadership to ensure the happiness and welfare of the people regardless of religion or nationality and realise Dubai's vision of becoming one of the world's best places to work and live.
The award reflects Dubai's serious efforts in the area of enhancing employer-employee relationship and aims to enhance awareness among labourers about their rights, protect the rights of workers, while setting international benchmarks in labour welfare practices.
The companies that have confirmed their participation include major national and international companies operating in the building and construction sector in Dubai.
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© Press Release 2016
